Open Ye Textbooks
by Something Greater
Summary: A visit to Tia Dalma's goes slightly awry when she accidentally sends Will, Elizabeth, and Jack into the 21st century, where they all must complete the journeys they started in order to return to their own time period.
1. A Visit to Tia Dalma

**A Visit to Tia Dalma's**

Will Turner stepped out of the tiny boat that held him and two others. He reached dry land and reached down to help Elizabeth out. Captain Jack Sparrow was the last of the party to reach the shore, although by the way he continued to sway as he stood on level ground, no one would have thought that he wasn't still on a lurching ship.

Captain Jack swaggered up to the door of a nearby shack and knocked on it three times. He waited rather impatiently for a moment, leaning from side to side anxiously before he was met by a dark figure in long, flowing robes.

"Tia Dalma!" Jack exclaimed, greeting his friend with a brief hug. "Long time no see!" He stepped inside and scanned her shack eagerly and whispered, "Have you got any rum?"

Tia smiled, revealing several yellowed and browned teeth, and pointed him to a cupboard in the corner. "What be the purpose of this visit?" she inquired, waving Will and Elizabeth inside.

Will and Elizabeth strode inside and took seats around a small table in the middle of the room. Having been there twice before, they were slightly familiar with the place. Captain Jack joined them a few moments later, clutching a bottle of rum and rocking back and forth happily.

Tia Dalma came in the room soon after and stared at the trio expectantly. "So… What be the purpose of this visit?" she asked again.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Tia Dalma, would it be possible for you to…maybe…predict the future?" She waited for her reply.

Tia Dalma stared down at her. "What do I look like to you, a fortune teller?" Upon seeing the disappointed expression on Elizabeth's face, she rethought her answer. "I may not be able to tell you the future, but I can take you there."

Will looked unbelievingly at the strange lady in front of him. "You can?"

Tia Dalma looked a little taken aback at Will's answer. "Don't be doubtin' me boy. I said I could do it and I will. Now hush up and let me work this." Tia walked over to a chest of drawers and began sorting through it, searching for a bag of dried herbs. Finally she pulled out a small satchel with a gold drawstring and set it on the table.

Will sniffed the air. "That smells like spices. What is it?" Jack hiccupped slightly behind him.

"Those are spices. But they're spices with magical properties, so be quiet and let Tia Dalma work her magic, okay?" Tia leaned forward so that her mouth was only inches from Will's as she spoke, giving him goosebumps and making the hair on the back of his neck stand up."

Will nodded, and Tia Dalma retreated and closed her eyes. She dipped her hand into the satchel and pulled out a fistful of green powder. Upon sprinkling it into the air, a giant hole was ripped in front of them. It expanded and grew until it was big enough to fit a man through.

Tia Dalma opened one eye. "I should be telling you though, I have no control of where in the future you end up, but I can pretty much assure you that almost everyone you have met will end up somewhere or another. It may not be what you expect; take precautions, do ya hear me?"

Elizabeth nodded excitedly and gripped Jack's hand in her right and Will's in her left as she listened to the mystic woman speak. Elizabeth released both of their hands and leaped through the portal.

She felt as though the whole world was pushing up against her. She couldn't breath and her eyes watered uncontrollably. It was similar to wearing a corset on her whole body. Suddenly she was thrown out of this strange wormhole and onto grass. She gasped for air and wiped her eyes on her arm. Her arm…she could have sworn she's worn a long sleeved shirt to Tia Dalma's house.

Elizabeth stood up. She was no longer in her pirate-like duds but instead decked out in jeans and a bright blue t-shirt. Her long brown hair, which had been hanging down her back, was now pulled up in a ponytail in the back of her head. She gasped, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Will arrived next to her a few moments later, wheezing and clutching his throat. His hair was no longer long and pulled back in a ponytail, but instead cut short to the back of his neck. He, too, was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and high tops.

"Will…"Elizabeth started, but then broke off; Captain Jack Sparrow had landed on the ground next to them. He was wearing khaki shorts and a long-sleeved shirt that he rolled up to expose his forearms. She gaped at him for a moment; he was positively dashing. His long dark hair was cut just below the shoulders and hung in his face, covering one brown eye seductively.

Jack stood up, still swaying as if he were on a boat. He closed his right hand around air, expecting it to close around a bottle of rum. When he saw that there was nothing there, he became flustered. "What happened to my rum-" He trailed off as he saw his companions. Elizabeth and Will looked to be about 14 years old, while Jack himself looked to be about 16.

Jack opened and closed his mouth for a few moments without making any sound, trying to take in his surroundings. Finally he managed to gasp out,"I guess Tia Dalma meant business."


	2. Barbossa's Plans

Barbossa's Plans

Elizabeth, Will, and Jack stared up at a giant brick building with the words South Caribbean High School. Hundreds of teenagers were streaming past them and into the building. Most passed the confused looking trio lying in the grass without looking at them, but some stared at them with queer expressions on their faces. Elizabeth's ears went slightly pink when she realized that some people were looking them over.

She formed a huddle with Will and Jack. "I feel out of place here," she said quietly. Will and Jack leaned in closer as Elizabeth's voice grew solemn. "Some girls actually are allowed to wear pants and show their legs!" She seemed shocked at this.

Jack grinned. "I don't think that anything's wrong with that, personally. Maybe you should start showing your legs more, Elizabeth, love."

Elizabeth's ears went pink again, but both Will and Jack could see that she was considering what Jack had said. Will cleared his throat loudly. "I am wearing a bag, and so are you two. Maybe there's something in there that will help us figure out where we are supposed to go."

Elizabeth nodded and opened her backpack, pulling out a folded piece of paper. She read it. Stamped at the top of the page, it read:

**Swann, Elizabeth**

**Freshman**

**Homeroom: Ragetti**

Under that it listed all her classes for the week.

"I'm something they call a freshman," Will said, perplexed. "I have a homeroom called Ragetti. What's that?"

"I have the same thing," said Elizabeth, as she and Will compared slips of paper.

"Well, I have a leg up on you, it seems. I'm something they call a junior and I don't know what the bloody hell it means," said Jack, temporarily stopping his swaying as he leaned against a tree.

Someone tapped Will on the shoulder; he turned around to face a rather chubby looking girl with curly red hair and blue eyes. "Hi. I'm Scarlett. Are you guys new here, because you look kind of lost." she said, never taking her eyes off of Will. "No offense," she added quickly, her entire face turning color to match her hair.

"That's quite alright, Ms. Scarlett," Will said, obviously flattered. "If you could help us, we'd be quite grateful," he handed her his, Elizabeth's, and Jack's slips of paper.

Scarlett's face fell a little as she caught sight of Elizabeth. "You're Elizabeth, I take it," she said, reading off the slip of paper Will had given her. "Unless you're Jack and he's Elizabeth." Scarlett pointed at Jack.

Jack, however, did not look upset in the least. "No, I daresay you'd gotten it right the first time, love."

Scarlett's face grew redder; she was obviously not at all used to be called "love". She turned back to Will, leaned up to his ear and whispered, "Is Elizabeth your girlfriend?"

"No," Will replied, failing to mention that she was his fiancé. Scarlett looked relieved.

"Okay", she said. "Let me show you to your classes. We have the same ones, mostly." She turned to Jack and gave him a folded piece of paper. "I'm afraid that I can't accompany you, but here's a map. I'm sure you can figure it out."

"Yes," he replied, his lips curling up into a slight smirk as he took it. "I daresay I've had a little experience with maps."

Scarlett led Will and Elizabeth to their first period class, while Jack sauntered to the first floor to his homeroom.

Without someone to lead him, Jack got sidetracked - by a soda machine. He was entranced by the strange new invention. He pushed the orange soda button and was slightly discouraged to see that nothing happened. He felt around in his pocket for something to slip in the coin slot. What had earlier been gold and silver was now dollars and change. He stuck three quarters in the machine and hit the button once more.

"Well that's quite convenient," Jack remarked, unscrewing the bottle that had popped out of the machine. He took a swig of the soda, throwing his head back. His eyes lit up as the liquid slip down his throat. "My God! That's nearly as good as me rum!"

Jack put 75 more cents into the machine and pressed the button. He caught the bottle as it slid out of the machine. He strode into his next class with a bottle of orange soda in each hand.

"You're late, Mr.-" Mr. Pintel, Jack's teacher, consulted his clipboard. "Sparrow. Mr. Jack Sparrow."

"_Captain _Jack Sparrow," Jack muttered under his breath.

"There is no eating or drinking in my class! Put that away and take your seat!" Mr. Pintel exclaimed.

Jack, who was never one to follow rules,simply stuffed them in his bag put them away and found an empty desk. He slid into one beside a dark-skinned, skinny girl with straight black hair and a face that expressed only stubbornness. Jack recognized her immediately.

"_Ana Maria?_" he scribbled on a note that he flicked across to her.

"_What_?" she wrote back, after she had read the note.

"_Can you show me around school today? I'm new here_." Jack was sure that he did not want an escort, but needed to see if this was, indeed, the Ana Maria he had known.

Ana Maria read this and considered for a moment before writing on the other side of the page: "_Sure. Where are you from?_"

Jack thought about it before scribbling back: _"Tortuga"._

Ana Maria read and reread this name several times over. It seemed somewhat familiar to her but she could not place where exactly she had heard it. "Tortuga," she muttered breathlessly.

While Ana Maria pondered this, Jack twirled his hair and played with his pen, spinning it between his fingers, clearly tuning out Mr. Pintel's lecture at the front. That is, until, Mr. Pintel decided to pause long enough to walk up to Jack's desk and rap on it with a ruler.

Jack, indifferent, continued to spin his pen and twirl his hair.

"Mr. Sparrow!" Mr. Pintel exclaimed.

Jack looked up from winding his pen between his fingers and stared at Mr. Pintel. "Something bothering you?"

"Yes, something is bothering me! You haven't listened to a thing I just said!"

"Not true. You just said that I haven't listened to anything you just said, when, in fact, I just repeated to you the last thing you just said." Jack answered smartly. The class snickered.

The veins on Mr. Pintel's head popped out as he screamed, no longer trying to keep his cool, "To the principal's office, Mr. Sparrow! Now!"

Jack shrugged and got up, winking to Ana Maria before leaving the room and striding down the long hallway. He had no intention of going to the principal's office, whatever that was. After a few wrong turns, some stumbling, and another visit to the soda machine, Jack found himself in the courtyard under an oak tree.

He removed the bottles from his shoulder bag and sat down. He took a couple of swigs of orange soda and looked around. He was alone except for a group of seniors nearby.

One of the upperclassmen approached him, looked him over, and asked, "Junior?"

Jack's lips curled up in a smile. "That's what my sheet said."

"How come you aren't in class?" the boy asked.

"I got sent to something called a principal's office." Jack shrugged, took a drink, and extended his hand. "My name is Jack Sparrow," he said cheerily, leaving off the "captain" for once.

"I'm Barbossa," the older boy said. He had tiny, gray eyes. Stubble covered his chin and his hair was untidy and matted. When he spoke, several gold teeth were visible in his mouth.

Instantly, Jack's trust in this new boy disappeared when he learned his name. He had double-crossed Jack many times in Jack's 17th century life. Jack's smile faded.

"This your crew?" he asked, referring to the dozen seniors and juniors behind Barbossa, who nodded. "Plotting anything big?" Jack asked next.

"Yeah," Barbossa said quickly, obviously eager to show off his plans to someone. "We're planning on crashing the school dance tommorrow and-" he cut himself off, realizing the stupidity of blabbing about secret and possibly illegal activities.

"School dance?" Jack raised his eyebrows. "What's that?"

Barbossa rolled his eyes. "You mean you've never heard of a school dance?" Jack shook his head, gulping down orange soda. "It's when a guy asks a girl to go as his date and they dance and talk and crap. It's this Friday."

Barbossa glanced at a fake Rolex wrapped around his wrist. "Crap. We gotta go. See ya around." Barbossa and the group of kids around him trooped off the courtyard.

Jack emptied one bottle into his mouth and smirked. "Barbossa, I daresay you've made a slight mistake."


	3. Norrington, James Norrington

Norrington

Several floors away, Elizabeth and Will were not having much fun in their first class: History. It was taught by a man named Mr. Ragetti, who was tall and lanky, with a prosthetic eye. He often stumbled across his own words and, more often, his feet. So far in the class, all he had discussed were pirates, ships, and the 17th century. Elizabeth and Will had grown rather bored after the first fifteen minutes, and decided to pass notes back and forth.

"_What do you think of this class?" _Elizabeth wrote.

Will read the note and replied, "_I think Ragetti was a better pirate than a teacher."_

Elizabeth smiled and tossed her hair a bit. Will blinked for a moment and silently thanked God for giving him such a beautiful fiancé.

"_Hey Elizabeth, have you given any thought to our wedding?" _Will flicked the paper across his desk to the one beside him.

Elizabeth picked it up and looked it over, her ears turning pink and her cheeks flushing slightly. The truth was that she hadn't given it another thought since before Captain Jack had been cruelly devoured by the Kraken. She closed her eyes against this thought; she knew that what she had done - kissing Jack in order to chain him to his own ship - was absolutely necessary. What had made it worse was that she had expected Jack to be upset about it when he returned- if he returned at all. Unfortunately, Jack had forgiven her immediately, making her guilt worse. Of course, it didn't help at all that she was starting to have feelings for the captain.

_Of course, you can't tell your fiancé that you fancy a pirate over him. That would complicate the marriage, _Elizabeth thought. She licked the tip of her pen, contemplating her reply. Finally she wrote, "_Have you?"_ trying to buy a little time.

Will passed his answer to Elizabeth after a quick second. "_Every day since we became engaged." _ His fiancé developed a sinking feeling in her gut as she read it.

"_Then so have I." _Elizabeth gave the blacksmith a weak smile. Will returned it with a grin.

The rest of the class past slowly and uneventfully. When the bell rang for lunch, the couple followed Scarlett to the cafeteria, where they took seats at the back.

"Follow me," Scarlett said, leading them through the lunch line. Imitating their guide, Will and Elizabeth grabbed a hamburger and a bag of chips and deposited them on their tray. They were lost, however, when it came to actually paying for the food.

Will stuffed his hand in his pocket and pulled out a couple of rectangular pieces of paper and a fistful of silver coins. Scarlett saw his confused expression and went over to help.

"Have you never used American money before?" she asked. When he shook his head, she counted out the currency for his and Elizabeth's meals. When Elizabeth thanked her politely, Scarlett frowned slightly and led them over to her table, where there were only two empty seats left.

"_So _sorry, Elizabeth, but there are only two empty seats left," Scarlett was obviously insincere as she laid down her tray.

"Then I daresay that if you had any class at all, you'd be the polite one here and let the guest have your seat." Elizabeth began to tell Scarlett off. "But seeing as that is obviously not the case here, I shall simply sit behind you two." She leaned in next to Will and smirked. "Congratulations on the happy couple."

Elizabeth had just sat down when she saw someone waving wildly to her from across the room. She instantly abandoned her meal to see what Jack wanted, and was pleased to see that Will had left Scarlett in a hurry. Elizabeth smiled to herself as she imagined it from Scalett's point of view. _She must think that Will rushed over here to join me, _Will's fiancé thought.

"What on Earth is it, Jack?" Will asked, breathlessly.

Jack shook his head, and his long dark hair fell over his shoulders (Elizabeth couldn't help but to have suggestive thoughts here) as he motioned for the courtyard. They tailed him as they advanced to the cool shade of the oak tree outside.

In a low voice, Jack repeated his whole conversation that he had had earlier with Barbossa. Will wondered what the scoundrel was planning, but he knew it couldn't have been good. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had other thoughts on her mind.

"Jack," she started. "You say that you bring dates to this dance?" Jack raised his eyebrows slightly. Will tried unsuccessfully to meet the girl's gaze when she said this.

"That's what Barbossa told me," Jack said, amused, as he attempted to see where Elizabeth was headed with this discussion.

"Never mind. Just wondering," she said quickly. Then she turned to Will. "Your new girlfriend will be missing you."

Will strained for any sign of jealously in his fiancé's words; when he found none, he became slightly disappointed but allowed himself to shrug anyway. "All the more time I get to spend with you, Ms. Swann." He pulled her close and kissed her deeply.

Elizabeth forced herself to kiss him back just enough that his confidence wouldn't decrease. Jack made a point of looking away, a little distressed at the scene before him. He didn't know why; he had never really cared for a girl before, why should he start now?

_Figures_, he thought miserably. _The first girl you fall for and she's all ready in love and engaged. _He stopped his thoughts. He banged on his head a little, trying to force all thoughts of Elizabeth out of his mind, in an attempt to rid himself of his feelings for her.

The couple in front of him broke their kiss (to Elizabeth's immense relief) long enough to stare at the sixteen year old hitting himself on the head repeatedly.

"Jack…are you okay?" Elizabeth asked, a little worried.

The junior in question straightened himself and put his hands in his lap. "Oh, would you look at the time? It's nearing 2nd period." He slung his bag over his shoulder and dashed off to his next class.

Elizabeth grabbed up her bag and followed Jack into the building. Will reluctantly came after them.

"Oh!" Elizabeth exclaimed; she had just bumped into a rather good looking sophomore and her books flew out of her hands. "I'm so sorry!" she apologized as she gathered her things.

"No, no. That was completely my fault," the boy said, helping her retrieve her belongings. "I am the one who is sorry, Ms. -?"

"Swann," Elizabeth replied, blushing slightly. "Elizabeth Swann."

"Really? Well I am Norrington, James Norrington," he said, slightly amused.

"And I'm Bond, James Bond," they heard someone behind them snicker.

Norrington ignored the rude classmate. "Well, I hope to be seeing more of you Elizabeth Swann. But for now, it is time for class."

"Right." Elizabeth said. "Do you know where room 218 is?"

Norrington took this as an opportunity to escort the girl to her 2nd period class. He took her arm and led her quickly away and up to the 2nd floor.

Before he let her go, he looked into her eyes and whispered, "Elizabeth Swann. Forgive me if I am being too forward, but I was wondering if you would be my date to the upcoming dance?" He looked at her hopefully.

Elizabeth forced a smile. "I will think about it, Mr. Norrington."

"Please, call me James." He returned her smile with one of his own and strode off.


	4. En Garde & Touche

**Fencing**

Jack had just been released from his 3rd period class and was heading towards the courtyard for free period. He was accompanied by Elizabeth and Will, who were holding hands as they walked. Will was chatting exciting to Elizabeth about the dance and the wedding. Elizabeth, who seemed rather bored with the conversation, merely nodded. Jack grasped this opportunity to help out Elizabeth and changed the subject, reading off a stray flyer on the ground.

"What the devil is fencing?" he asked.

"It's stuff you put around your house, I believe," Will said.

"No, it's like sword fighting, except with metal sticks instead of swords." Elizabeth answered.

"Well, it sounds like fun, at any rate," Jack took a swig of orange soda. "They hold meetings during free period. Do you figure that we should check it out?"

The couple in front of him shrugged and then nodded. They all grabbed their bags and doubled back into the building to find the fencing room. When they arrived, several people were already warming up. Elizabeth was not pleased to see that Norrington was one of them.

"Jack! Hello! I didn't know that you were into fencing!" Ana Maria waved to him from the far side of the room.

"I'm not, actually," the pirate admitted. "I was hoping you could teach me?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

Ana Maria narrowed her eyes at him. "You're awfully needy, Jack."

Jack became slightly upset at this. "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow! I don't need anyone!" he roared. "Now, I need you to help me."

Ana Maria smiled slightly.

"Is it true that it is just like sword fighting?" Jack wondered.

"Pretty much, yes," Ana Maria started. "But-"

Jack cut her off. "Then we're good here." He grabbed a fencing blade and tossed one to Elizabeth and Jack.

"You need gear," Norrington told Elizabeth. He threw some to her male friends. "I shall help you with yours," he told Elizabeth, who was too tired to object. Will watched him closely and coughed loudly as Norrington helped Elizabeth with her protective jacket, his hands momentarily straying to her lower waist.

Jack, now fully protected, advanced on Ana Maria. They dueled for a few moments in the corner as Will and Norrington fought by themselves in the middle.

Elizabeth tried weakly to call off the fight, but finally just sat on the ground and watched, amused.

"Stay… away… from my… Elizabeth!" Will demanded breathlessly as he attempted to strike Norrington.

"Your Elizabeth!" Norrington had barely broken a sweat. "'Your Elizabeth' just might be attending the dance with me! How's that?" He effortlessly dodged Will's attack.

"What?" Will stopped and turned to stare at Elizabeth, who neither protested nor agreed to this statement. Norrington seized this moment to strike Will in the stomach. Will's anger rose as all blades were abandoned; he landed a left hook in the other boy's nose.

Jack, Ana Maria, and everyone else in the small room stopped their practice to observe this fight. Elizabeth struggled to pull off Norrington; Jack ran over to remove Will. The two were still trying to take swings at each other even after they were restrained. Elizabeth let go of Norrington (who lunged at Jack and missed) to help Jack pull a furious Will out into the hall.

"_What the devil is wrong with you?" _Elizabeth demanded as she glared at him. "That was so embarrassing!"

"That was embarrassing for you!" Will asked, incredulously. "I was just informed that my fiancé is going on a date with another man!"

"No I am not!" she exclaimed. "He asked me and I said I'd think about it! I didn't mean it!"

"Oh," Will's face flushed.

"I thought the whole thing was quite entertaining, really." Jack took a drink from his bottle over orange soda.

"I can't believe how childish you're being! So what if I had agreed with him? I'm engaged to you, aren't I!" Elizabeth's anger was still directed at her fiancé.

"It…It would be fine…if that were your decision," Will stammered as he was told off by his girlfriend.

A sly smile passed Elizabeth's face as she removed her protective gear, pulled her hair out of her ponytail, and reapplied her make-up, gazing in a compact mirror that she had pulled out of her purse. She kissed Will briefly on the cheek before strolling into the room she had just left.

Jack raised his eyebrows at Jack questioningly. Will shook his head and shrugged.

Elizabeth emerged, holding hands with a very pleased looking Norrington. She leaned into his ear and said in a low, seductive voice, "See you Friday." She strolled off. Will, looking panic-stricken, got up to follow her. Jack tossed an empty orange soda bottle into a nearby trashcan before leaving with them.

"You said you'd go with him!" Will exclaimed, facing Elizabeth outside a deserted classroom.

Elizabeth waved it off as if it were no big deal. "You said you didn't care, so I decided to see if you meant it!"

"Of course I meant it! Now call off the date so I can ask you!" The veins on Will's neck popped.

Elizabeth looked him straight in the eye and said simply, "no." She grasped Will's hand. "I'll take it back when you can act like a responsible adult." The bell rang and she walked off to search for her next class.

Will opened his closed fist and almost cried; Elizabeth had slipped her engagement ring into his hand.


	5. Computers and Time Travel

**Come-Putters**

The last class for Will and Elizabeth was computers. They sat one chair apart from each other, with Scarlett between them. Jack had skipped his next class to accompany them to this room. He was mystified at the blinking screens and decided to stay with them, sitting on Elizabeth's other side.

"You really don't know how to use a computer?" Scarlett asked Will, incredulously.

Will shook his head. "I really don't know what a 'come-putter' is."

Scarlett then instructed him on the most important thing she thought he should know- how to use a chat room.

"-Then you just choose a name and sign on here," she finished. Elizabeth and Jack, who had been listening intently, followed her instructions.

Will choose his name carefully: WTurner. "Real creative, mate," Jack said to him sarcastically.

"Well, let's see yours then," Will retorted. "CaptainS; Captain Sparrow, I presume?"

"Ah, but you missed one thing," Jack pointed out. "It could also stand for Captain Savvy, savvy?"

"Mine's Curly Q," Scarlett cut in, trying to get Will to pay attention her again.

"But your name doesn't start with 'Q'; it starts with 'S'," Elizabeth protested.

"Well _excuse _me, Miss-" Scarlett squinted at Elizabeth's screen. "Miss 'Sparrow's Swann'"

Jack looked up from his monitor to confirm what he had heard; yes, Elizabeth's screen name was really "Sparrow's Swann".

One by one, the four logged into the chat room, to find that they were not the only one's there; someone called AMaria (Ana Maria, obviously) was already there, but by herself, most likely from the library.

**Curly Q: ** So, what do you guys think?

**AMaria: **Who are you talking to? Think of what?

**CaptainS: **It's interesting

**Sparrow's Swann: **Agreed

**WTurner: **If Elizabeth agrees, I don't

**AMaria: **Who are you people?

**CaptainS: **I'm Jack, and these are my accomplices, we're from Tortuga, remember?

**WTurner: **Accomplices! I thought we've saved your butt enough times to be considered "friends"

**CaptainS: **Okay, Sparrow's Swann can be my friend, because of her screen name, savvy?

**Sparrow's Swann: **Since when were we from Tortuga!

**AMaria: **That name sounds familiar

**Curly Q: **So, WTurner

**W Turner: **Yes?

**Curly Q: **Are you going to the dance this Friday?

**WTurner: **I plan to

**Curly Q: **Well…

**Curly Q: **do

**Curly Q: ** you

**Curly Q: **want

**Curly Q: **to

**Curly Q: **go

**Curly Q: **with

**Curly Q: **me

**Curly Q: **?

**WTurner:** glances at Sparrow's Swann I'd _love _to

**AMaria: **You guys are rather weird

**CaptainS: **You should talk

**WTurner: **whispers to CaptainS Quick! While you two are flirting! Ask her to the dance!

**CaptainS: **Fine. Sparrow's Swann, would you like to go to the dance with me?

**Sparrow's Swann: **Bats eyelashes sarcastically I'd love to go with you. I'll go call Norrington and cancel our date

**AMaria: **That's fine, because I wouldn't have gone with you anyway, CaptainS!

**CaptainS: **Just teasing, love. Would you be my date, AMaria?

**AMaria: **Whatever. Sure, CaptainS

**Sparrow's Swann: **Oh darn pouts

**CaptainS: **What's up with your screen name anyway, Sparrow's Swann?

**Sparrow's Swann: **I'm your Swann, Sparrow.

**CaptainS: **I'm flattered. Maybe now that your wedding's called off, I'll actually have a chance with you

**Sparrow's Swann: **Shut up!

**WTurner: **Excuse me! No you do not!

**Curly Q: **What wedding!

**Sparrow's Swann: **Seeing as you no longer love me, I wouldn't think you'd be so upset, WTurner

**Curly Q:** You loved Elizabeth!

**WTurner: **You're the one who threw back the engagement ring, Elizabeth!

**Curly Q:** You guys were engaged! But you're only like, 15!

**Sparrow's Swann:** 14

**CaptainS: **Um, in Tortuga, you are betrothed at 14. Yeah, sure, that's it.

**AMaria: **You're not betrothed, are you, CaptainS!

**CaptainS: **No, I was a bit of an outlaw. Never much abided by the rules.

**AMaria:** Wipes off sweat Pheww! That goodness! You had me worried!

**CaptainS:** Sorry, love

**Curly Q: **I'm in love with a married man!

**WTurner: **1) I'm not married and 2) I just met you! You are not in love with me!

**Curly Q: **blushes I added that for, um, dramatic effect

**WTurner: **Yeah, right

_**CaptainS invites Sparrow's Swann into a private chat room.**_

_**Sparrow's Swann accepts.**_

**CaptainS: **You don't really love Norrington, do you, love?

**Sparrow's Swann: **No, I'm just going with him to make William mad

**CaptainS: **Oh

**CaptainS: **Since when do you call Will "William"

**Sparrow's Swann: **I don't know

**Sparrow's Swann: **Things have been kind of strange between us since…

**CaptainS: **Since what?

**Sparrow's Swann: **You know…

**CaptainS:** No, I'm pretty sure that I don't

**Sparrow's Swann: **When I kissed you…

**CaptainS: **…To chain me to my ship

**Sparrow's Swann: **I explained that to Will, but he's been all over me since, as if he can't believe that it was only a survival tactic, and nothing more.

**CaptainS: **Right. Kissing me is a survival tactic

**CaptainS: **Tell me; was it an enjoyable survival tactic?

**Sparrow's Swann: **Quite.

**CaptainS: **Good to know.

**CaptainS:** Oh Bugger

**Sparrow's Swann:** What?

**CaptainS: **I just remembered that I'm going with Ana Maria to the school dance, we have no place to stay tonight after school lets out, we have to stop Barbossa from doing something stupid, you called off your wedding, Scarlett is in love with Will, and I'm nearly out of Orange soda.

**Sparrow's Swann: **Oh yeah

**CaptainS: **Well, ready to head back to the group?

_**This Chat Room Has Been Closed**_

_**TiaDalma has just signed on.**_

**WTurner: **Tia Dalma?

**TiaDalma: **If you mean an anxious junior who needs to talk to you three, then yes.

_**TiaDalma invites WTurner, Sparrow's Swann, and CaptainS into a private chat room.**_

_**All accept.**_

**TiaDalma: **I be needin' to talk to you

**WTurner:** What is it?

**TiaDalma:** It's about how you can get back

**Sparrow's Swann:** How do you know about that

**TiaDalma:** Tia Dalma knows about everyrthin'. I wanted to be letting' you know that you can't be coming back until you complete your journey

**CaptainS:** What journey would that be? Will there be any orange soda there?

**TiaDalma:** Your actions today have decided your "quests" or whatever you all be callin' it. Jack, you have to defeat that evil wretch Barbossa

**CaptainS:** Actually, I was planning on doing that already, love

**TiaDalma:** Good. Will, you gotta fend off any creeping wenches that come your way

**WTurner:** coughs Scarlett coughs

**TiaDalma:** And last, 'Lizbeth, you need to figure out where your heart lies. Whether it is between Will-

**WTurner:** coughs Norrington cough cough

**TiaDalma:** -or Jack

**WTurner:** _Jack! When did you ever consider Jack!_

**Sparrow's Swann: **whistles innocently If my screen name is any clue…

**CaptainS:** Wow. Cool.

**WTurner:** So that day on the boat- and the kiss- and the tears- and the Kraken- and that time on the island with Jack- and- and- Everything! You had feelings for him that whole time?

**Sparrow's Swann: **Not at all! You know I love you Will! I always do! If anyone should be sorry here, it's you, Mr. I-Think-I'll-Go-To-The-Dance-With-Scarlett!

**WTurner:** You are going to the dance with Norrington! May I remind you that you were once engaged to Norrington!

**Sparrow's Swann:** May I remind you that I was once engaged to you too?

**CaptainS:** Keyword here: once; as in: not anymore.

**WTurner:** Be quiet, Jack!

**Sparrow's Swann:** Don't talk to him like that Will!

**TiaDalma:** Everybody here need be shuttin' up!

**TiaDalma:** Now, as soon it is time for you all to leave da school, time will fast forward, and Ya'll will be finding' yourselves at the entrance to da school tomorrow morning', just in time for classes. Your bellies will be full, you will have money in your pockets, and new clothes on your back. Understand?

_(Here the trio nods. Then, realizing that TiaDalma can't see them, they type their responses)_

**WTurner:**_ fine_

**Sparrow's Swann: **_Okay_

**CaptainS:**_ Savvy_

The bell rang, and everyone signed off. Will, Elizabeth, and Jack were the last ones to gather their things and leave the room. They arrived at the courtyard several moments later. As soon as their feet made contact with the grass, something curious happened. A breeze whipped around them, gathering both strength and speed. Elizabeth was knocked off her feet and fell, pulling Jack and Will down with her. Bits of grass and dirt flew into their eyes, making them sting. Around them, dozens of people were dashing over the ground at high, almost unnatural, speeds. The sky darkened, the moon came out, and they were alone with the winds for a few seconds before the sun rose up over the horizon. The wind stopped and the three were able to come to a standing position at last.

Elizabeth brushed her hair out of her eyes to see that it was now pulled back into a slick ponytail. She was wearing slightly faded jeans and a green tank top, with strappy sandals. She looked at her companions to see that their clothes had also changed, although their hair had, for the most part, remained the same.

And, for the second time, Jack said, "I guess Tia Dalma meant business."


	6. Blinded

**Creeping**

It was Friday morning; roughly half past 8 o'clock and Will was in his first class- science. He twirled his pencil idly as he waited for the lesson to be over, staring out of the window. Directly outside, on the courtyard, he saw a group of students huddled in a corner next to the large oak tree. He recognized Barbossa from Jack's description. Realizing that he had to do something, Will stuck his hand in the air and moved it wildly around; it was a tactic he had seen the other students use when they wanted a teacher's attention.

"Yes?" the professor stopped his lecture on the elements to acknowledge Will. "What is the problem Mr. Turner?"

"Umm," Will attempted to think up a reason for him to leave the room. "I, umm, have to, er…, go to the bathroom," he finished lamely.

"Very well," the teacher nodded and dismissed him. Will calmly strolled out of the room and closed the door, but broke into a run as soon as he was in the corridor. He turned left at the corner and pushed through the metal doors. He ran around to the other side of the building, coming up a few feet behind the tree. On the other side Barbossa and his posse were talking in low voices.

"Do you have the firecrackers, Nott?" he asked a skinny boy standing near him. When the boy nodded, Barbossa continued. "What about the snakes? Brett?"

"Sure do, Barb," a short blond boy answered him.

"Very funny," Barbossa growled. "Last, the lemon juice and the beer. Who has that?"

"I do," a tall boy with dark red hair answered. He talked to Barbossa, but he was staring blankly at the tree, his eyes closed, fluttering open occasionally. Will worried, for a split second, that the boy could see him through the tree. However, with a feeling of slight relief, he realized that this boy was blind. Will's feeling of dread did not go away completely; Will still felt like the blind boy's cold, grey eyes could see him.

The bell rang; the group disbanded. Barbossa led them over the grass and back inside the building. What neither Barbossa nor Will noticed was that one of his crew was missing; the red haired boy had stayed behind. Will did not know this until he felt breathing on the back of his neck and spun around quickly. He was face to face with the blind boy he had seen only a moment earlier talking to Barbossa.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Will had sucked in a breath and struggled not to exhale it. The boy bent in closer to Will, his lips directly by his ear. He whispered, in the lowest of whispers, "Leave,"

Will did as he was told. He edged away from the tree and jogged all the way to the class he had had last period. He gathered his books and made his way to the cafeteria. He paid for his lunch and scanned the room for a place to sit.

Scarlett was waving wildly to him, saving him a place at her table. Will broke into an evil grin as he picked up his pace, heading for her. He stopped at her table, looked her over, frowned, and went to sit at the table directly behind her, where Elizabeth and Jack were already eating. He smirked slightly at Scarlett's face (a look of horror and disbelief) as he greeted Elizabeth with a hug (Jack made a point to look away here and continue downing the orange soda he had bought).

Elizabeth returned the hug, and then asked, incredulously, "So everything's okay between us?"

Will, his face forced in a stony smile, replied through gritted teeth, "Not at all. Just smile and act like you're happy to see me."

Elizabeth, who was rather taken aback, broke the hug and stared at him. Her face broke into a smirk. "Oh, there you are, Norrington!" she called excitedly from across the hall.

Will, who turned to see who she was yelling to, gasped. Norrington, looking quite pretty-boyish, strolled over to their table and sat across from Elizabeth. With a sideways glance at Will, Elizabeth leaned over, meeting his lips in the middle, gave him a deep kiss.

Only Jack, who was now snacking on chips, saw that Elizabeth was absolutely disgusted at this; her face had a forced look of happiness as she pulled away. Jack smirked at this and crumpled up his now empty bag.

"Oye! Ana Maria!" he cried out suddenly. A girl with long dark hair and dark skin was across the hall, talking to a tall boy with dark red hair and grey eyes. Ana Maria grabbed his hand and led him over to Jack's table. As they neared, Will realized that it was the blind boy he had seen earlier.

"What's this then?" Jack asked in mock seriousness as the two took their seats near him. "You 'ave a new boyfriend, love?"

"Hardly," Ana Maria smiled. "This is my brother Tony." Tony nodded each one in turn, his eyes lingering slightly at Will.

"In case you are wondering," Tony said. "I am blind, but I can see just fine with my ears and feet." He turned and stared straight at Will. "So I'd rather that none of you underestimated me." His voice grew low. "_None _of you." With that, he dug into his hot dog.

"So…Lizzie- can I call you Lizzie?" Norrington asked.

"I prefer Elizabeth," she replied coldly.

"Anyway, Lizzie," (Elizabeth scowled here as Norrington continued) "I was wondering, what do you plan on wearing to the dance tonight?"

Jack knew as well as Elizabeth did that none of the three knew what on Earth they would be wearing to the dance; that was completely up to Tia Dalma. Elizabeth smiled and shook her head. "That's a surprise." She turned to Ana Maria and asked, "What are you wearing, Ana Maria? To the dance, I mean."

Ana Maria shrugged. "Quite truthfully I don't know. I'll decide tonight"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and looked at Will. "What is Scarlett wearing? You two can color coordinate your outfits."

Will glared back. "Very funny. I expect Norrington would expect you to."

"I am going to get more soda." Jack cleared his throat loudly, then grabbed Elizabeth and Will by the wrists. "You two come with me now." He pulled them out into a corridor near a deserted classroom.

"What has gotten into you two!" Jack screeched. "You two are a young couple. You are in love, and you can't let anything come between you two! Now stop being stupid! We only have one day to foil Barbossa's plans. If we don't, then I can't get my part of the journey done and we'll be stuck here forever! So get your butts in gear, savvy?"

The two looked at each other and nodded. Jack, satisfied, took a swig of his soda.

"I heard Barbossa and his friends talking today," Will offered. He then recounted everything that had happened in the courtyard, even mentioning the part about Tony.

"That's interesting," Jack swaggered over and leaned against a wall. "If I think right, then he's probably planning to set off the firecrackers, put beer in the drinks, and release the snakes," Jack shrugged. "That's just what I think."

Elizabeth nodded. "I agree."

"Thought you would," Jack smirked. "Lizzie."

Elizabeth's ears went bright red. She ducked her head, muttering to herself.

"It's about time for our next period." Will checked his schedule. "I've got Algebra."

Jack pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and glanced at it. "I've got something called trigi- triggggino- tri- trinom-" Jack struggled to pronounce the name of his next class.

Elizabeth looked over his shoulder. "Trigonometry, love,"

Jack's eyes widened in mock surprise. "Elizabeth called me 'love'! Now if I can just get her to get some gold teeth and tattoos, she'll be a regular 'Jacky' Sparrow!"

Will got up abruptly and strolled back to the lunchroom. From there he grabbed his books and headed to the Algebra room. He had just climbed the stairs and was on the next floor when he fell on his face, tripped by someone's leg. Will looked up and saw, with a sinking feeling, a smirking Tony.

Will struggled to his feet and picked up his books. When he straightened himself up, he felt someone's hot breath next to his ear. Tony's low, menacing voice whispered, "Leave."

Shivers shot down Will's spine as he turned to leave. His cheeks flushed as he heard Tony laugh behind him. All he wanted was to get to his next class without another problem. No such luck. His books were knocked out of his hand by a very upset Scarlett, who then slapped him. "I'm not sure I deserved that," Will muttered.

"What the hell was that today?" Scarlett exclaimed. "You walked right by me and made me look like an idiot! You ignored me and went to hug that little brat -"

"Elizabeth!" Will called, for his fiancé was right behind Scarlett. Scarlett, realizing this, slammed Will against a wall and kissed him.

_She's not a very good kisser, _Will thought. The kiss was wet and rushed, and the only emotion felt between them was anger, coming from Scarlett. Will made all effort not to kiss back, but Scarlett seemed not to have noticed; she kept snogging him intensely.

To Will's surprise, no sign of jealousy showed on Elizabeth's face. Instead, she stared at the couple until they broke the kiss, then entered the algebra room ahead of them. All through 2nd period, Will kept staring at her, looking to see if she was fighting back tears; she was not.

No, Elizabeth was deeply immersed in a portrait she was doing of Jack. It had not started that way, of course; it had started out as a drawing of Norrington, then Will, but had ended up and stayed as a picture of Jack.

Will peered over Elizabeth's shoulder at her sketch and was surprised for two reasons: 1) It was not of him, Will and 2) it looked exactly like Jack did, in his pirate days.

"Like it?" Elizabeth asked, not looking up.

"It's…Jack," Will answered lamely.

"How nice of you to notice," Elizabeth quipped. When Will did not answer, she continued. "Did you have fun making out with Scarlett?"

"What? Oh, yeah, loads," he lied. "Scarlett's a great kisser. The best I've ever kissed."

Elizabeth snapped her pencil in two. "That's not saying very much, as you've only ever kissed two people in your entire lifetime."

Neither said another word to the other for the rest of the class.


	7. Breaking Up Is Never Easy

**Honesty**

Will was coming out of his 3rd period class, English, and was headed for his free period. Elizabeth was right behind him, but neither said a word to the other; they hadn't spoken since 2nd period. Will felt that he should apologize, despite his better judgment. Before he had a chance to open his mouth, Norrington appeared and whisked Elizabeth away by the arm. Someone tapped a slightly disappointed Will on the shoulder. Will turned to see Jack, clutching a bottle of orange soda, his breath smelling like citrus.

"We need to talk," he said. Will followed him to a deserted classroom. Jack shut the door behind them. He got close enough to Will to smell his breath; it smelled like chips. Jack leaned in closer; Will got chills up the back of his spine, worried about what Jack was going to do. The pirate leaned in closer, if that was possible, and whispered, "Scarlett."

Will pulled away, confused. "What about Scarlett?"

"You have to break up with her if you want to complete your part of the plan," Jack explained.

"Not as easy as you'd think." Will sunk to the ground, discouraged. "She's not exactly the kind of girl to take it…lightly."

"I know what you mean, Will." Jack sat down beside him. "I've known a lot of women like that," he sighed sadly. "But I never really was in love with any of 'em. And then…I think I did fall in love, but she wouldn't love me back…couldn't love me back."

"You're talking about Ana Maria?" Will asked. "I think she likes you back."

"No, not Ana- I mean, yeah, it's Ana Maria," Jack lied. He stood up and dusted himself off. "C'mon, mate. We've got to find Scarlett for you."

They found her relatively quickly; she was chatting with her best friends in the courtyard. Will took a deep breath and walked over to her. He gently took her hand and led her away from her friends, who were giggling loudly and flirting with Jack.

"What is it, Will?" Scarlett asked breathlessly.

"Umm," Will stalled. "The truth is that," he thought for a moment. "Elizabeth doesn't want me to go to the dance with you." He knew it was a mean lie, but it was his only option.

Scarlett's face turned red and she clenched her fists. "You _listened _to that little-"

Once again, Scarlett was interrupted. This time, however, it was because of Will's lips. He kissed her gently on the mouth. He felt no attraction to her, yet he felt like he owed her that much.

Will pulled away, looked her in the eye, and said, "I'm sorry." He walked away, knowing that he had cruelly played with her heart for much too long.

Will returned to Scarlett's friends, leaving a now sobbing Scarlett behind him. He grabbed Jack by the arm and took him inside the building.

"What is it, mate?" Jack asked.

"I broke it off with Scarlett," Will said. Jack nodded, urging him to go on. "…by telling her that Elizabeth told me to."

Jack's eyes popped out of his head as he gagged on his orange soda. "You what!" he exclaimed.

"Now Scarlett detests Elizabeth and it's all my fault," Will buried his head in his hands.

"Well, if it's any consolation, she hated her already, mate," Jack offered. "But how're you going to break the news to Elizabeth? She'll be furious."

"Well, right now she's probably making out with Norrington." Will sighed.

But, in fact, Elizabeth was not kissing Norrington at that time. She had already left him back in the fencing room after accidentally clocking him on the head. She had instead gone to the art room to finish her drawing of Jack. She had to finish shading it in and doing the details on his teeth.

Mr. Montague, the art teacher, was examining her artwork. "It's wonderful," she said. "You can feel the rebellion here in his eyes, but deep underneath the surface is a more caring, sensitive side."

Elizabeth realized that Mr. Montague was absolutely correct; that was exactly what Elizabeth saw when she looked at Jack. She retrieved her portrait from the teacher and finished coloring it. she admired the finished product and stuck it in her bag just as the bell for 4th period rung. She grabbed her books and headed out the door.

Her last class was Gym. When she arrived, she found that the other girls were already changing in the locker room. Elizabeth opened an empty locker with her name on it; inside were a pair of red shorts and a white t-shirt, under a pair of white sneakers. She pulled the clothes on quickly and laced up her sneakers. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Scarlett glaring darkly at her.

The gym teacher, Ms. Rubeus, blew the whistle and all the girls rushed out to grab giant red balls. "Dodgeball!" Ms. Rubeus shouted.

Scarlett whispered something to her friends and they all threw their balls at Elizabeth, who jumped over them and ducked so as to avoid getting hit. She paused, slightly out of breath. Scarlett seized her chance to lob a particularly hard ball at her. It zoomed up to her and made contact with her head. Elizabeth flipped over and landed on her back, groaning. She touched her right eye to find that it was swelling.

Ms. Rubeus blew her whistle with a loud "Tweeeeeeeeeet" and rushed over to examine Elizabeth. She then sent her to the nurse's office with a pass. Elizabeth took up her belongings and left the gym.

She passed the pool where Jack was spending his gym class. Elizabeth gazed through the door for a moment, watching the boys do laps. Jack looked up and spotted her. He gasped when he saw her eye. He waved his hand around wildly in the air and asked the coach for a bathroom pass. Within seconds he had joined Elizabeth in the hall.

"What the devil happened to your eye?" he asked her.

"Scarlett," Elizabeth said simply, and they both understood.

They were almost to the health room when a girl stepped out of the nearby bathroom. She had long, twisted dreadlocks and slightly crooked teeth. Even without her usual outfit, Jack and Elizabeth recognized a younger, more modern Tia Dalma.

Tia Dalma, looking about 16 years old, walked up to them. She silently retrieved a jar of yellow herbs from her bag and rubbed it on Elizabeth's right eye, which swelled a bit more before going back to it's original size. Elizabeth touched her eye in disbelief before throwing her arms around Tia Dalma and hugging her.

"Thank you!" she said.

"It be nothin', child," she waved it off and smiled briefly, before her voice turned solemn. "Today be your last day to get ye tasks down if you be wantin' to come back tonight. Ye have to get it done. Will's finished his but yours be harder. Elizabeth, if you get stuck, close ye eyes. Ye heart will lead you there." With that, Tia Dalma disappeared.

Neither Elizabeth nor Jack was too keen on returning to their classes, so they talked in a deserted classroom, sitting on the desks.

"Why did Scarlett attack me?" Elizabeth wondered. "I know she didn't like me, but she was never _that _mean to me before. What happened?"

Jack bit his lower lip before answering. "Will told her that you told him to break up with her," he blurted out suddenly.

Elizabeth was outraged. "Why on Earth would he do something like that? Wouldn't he know that something bad would come out of it!"

Jack grasped Elizabeth's hand in his and looked into her honey-brown eyes. "He didn't know just how bad it would be, love. I'm sure if he did he wouldn't have told her that. He just wanted to protect you and make you happy. We both do. Don't be mad at us."

Elizabeth caught her breath a little before answering. "I forgive you. Tia Dalma fixed my eye and Jack and Scarlett broke up, so I suppose there's no harm done."

Jack smiled. Elizabeth released his hands suddenly to dig through her bag. She pulled out the painting that she had completed earlier and presented it to him.

Jack admired it. "It's me," he finally said. "It's me from when I was a pirate." He looked at her, then back at the picture. "You even got me teeth right, love."

He handed it back to her, but Elizabeth closed her hands over his and slipped it back to him. "Keep it," she whispered.

The bell rang; the day was done. Jack and Elizabeth felt a familiar sensation sweep over their bodies: an intense wind. This time it only blew over them for a short while before coming to a stop. Jack checked his watch: it was 8 o'clock and time for the dance.

Elizabeth's hair was pulled in a glamorous bun on top of her head. She was wearing a fitted blue dress and black heeled shoes. Jack's hair was combed and he was wearing black pants and a black jacket. He ran a hand through his dark locks, messing it up slightly so that it looked more like his style.

He took Elizabeth's hand and led her out of the room. "Well, my darling, it's time for the dance."


	8. Elizabeth's Choice

When Elizabeth and Jack reached the Auditorium, which was now transformed into a classy ballroom, Will was already there, looking handsome in a white tuxedo and black shoes. He was looking around anxiously. He recognized Nott standing behind the stage with a brown burlap bag. Brett was standing on the edge of the dance floor with a similar bag. Tony was looking shifty over by the punch with two flasks of liquid.

Will spotted Elizabeth and Jack and smiled. His face fell, however, when he saw that Jack was holding hands with Elizabeth. Jack, turning slightly red, released it and went to see what his friend wanted. Elizabeth went to join them, but stopped when she felt someone take hold of her arm; Norrington had arrived.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he said, trying to sound smooth.

Elizabeth forced a smile and responded, "Hello, Norrington."

The music started and the couple moved to the middle. Norrington placed his hands on her waist and Elizabeth placed her arms around his neck. They rocked back in forth in time to the music. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Barbossa peeking out from behind a curtain on the side of the stage. Will and Jack had abandoned their previous spots and were moving towards the members of his crew.

Norrington moved in closer to Elizabeth; they were practically breathing on each other. Norrinton's lips were less than an inch away from hers. They gazed deeply into each other's eyes as Norrington moved forward to fill in the gap between their mouths. Elizabeth only kissed him for a second before she realized that it was not right; she did not love this man. She pulled away, tears in her eyes, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

She left him standing in the middle of the room looking rather downcast and depressed.

Elizabeth rushed over to the punchbowl and scanned the room for her two best friends. Jack was behind Nott and Will was creeping up on Brett. Elizabeth went over to Will and asked what she could do to help.

Will was so relieved to see her that he did not question her about her date. "I need you to mind that boy over by the punchbowl and make sure that he doesn't put anything in there."

Elizabeth looked to where he was pointing. "But that's Ana Maria's brother, Tony. He's blind. What can he do?"

Will sighed, exasperated. "He may be blind, but do you remember what he said, 'I'd rather that none of you underestimated me'. He said he can see just as well with his ears and feet."

Elizabeth nodded, understanding, and went over to look after the punchbowl. She kept an eye on Tony and on Jack at the same time; he was no longer next to Nott. She looked around and was that he was attempting to dance with Ana Maria, who seemed appalled at his lack of dance moves. _Pirates can't dance, _Elizabeth thought with a small smile.

Barbossa was still lurking behind the crimson curtains. Elizabeth, keeping an ear out for any signals, heard him cough. Tony, turning his head around a few times, coughed back, twice. On the other side of the gym, Nott coughed three times. Finishing off the plainly rehearsed sign, Brett went into a coughing fit.

Tony, a small smile curling around his thin lips, turned to the punchbowl. He emptied both flasks into the bowl. Elizabeth smelled the distinctive scent of alcohol. Realizing that she had to do something, she sprinted onto the stage and grabbed the microphone and headphones from the dj.

Adjusting the equipment, Elizabeth spoke clearly (and was surprised to see that whatever she said echoed loudly), "All **_sparrows _**wishing to **_fire_** some **_crackers _**please report to the stage." She knew it was stupid, but Jack would get the message. Sure enough, she saw him give Ana Maria a quick peck on the cheek before climbing up to find Nott.

Elizabeth handed the dj back her items and went back to the punchbowl. She was wondering just how she was going to empty two gallons of alcoholic punch inconspicuously. The plan solved itself, however, when Scarlett swaggered over and called out in a syrupy-sweet voice, "Oh, _E-liz-a-beth_."

Elizabeth spun around, and the punch was splashed over her, soaking her to the bone. She rushed off to the bathroom to dry off as a nearby teacher went to refill the punch. Elizabeth smiled to herself as she heard Tony swear, his beer-filled punch all over the floor.

Meanwhile, Brett had already released the snakes, tossing the open bag into the middle of the room. Dozens of garter snakes uncurled themselves and slip out of the bag, winding around unknowing students. Will, realizing his chance, zipped up to the dj's table and grabbed the headphones and the mic.

"Everybody, listen up!" Will caught everyone's attention. "This is a new type of dance, okay? Do what I say." He had to work quickly before the presence of the hissing snakes was noticed. "Jump five times! Jump five times!" Snakes were squashed and stomped on. "Now hop in a circle! Hop in a circle!"

Elizabeth, who had returned from the bathroom, saw what Will was doing and rushed around, scooping up the dead snakes.

"Now slide to the left! Now slide to the right!" Elizabeth finished gathering the last of them as Will finished up on the stage. "Okay, now do the cha cha slide!" He threw the headphones back to the dj as he hopped off the stage, giving his fiancé a high five.

Jack's part of the plan was more difficult; he had to stop Nott from setting off a giant sack of dangerous illegal firecrackers.

Jack grabbed a large, plastic sword from the ground (probably left over from the drama production of Romeo and Juliet) and gripped it tightly. Sneaking up behind him, Jack stuck it at Nott's throat. Struggling to breath, Nott flailed his arms wildly, dropping the lit match that he had previously held. It rolled around on the ground for a few feet before it caught the hem of a leftover costume, which slowly burned.

Jack, staring to panic, jabbed Nott quickly in his throat. Nott crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Jack checked to make sure there was a pulse before stepping over the body and heading for the medieval dress. He threw it on the ground and stomped on it, putting the flames out. Jack breathed a heavy sigh of relief when something caught him around the throat.

It was Barbossa.

He growled. "Thought you would foil my plan, would you?" he growled. Jack prayed that someone would hear the commotion and come to his rescue. Unfortunately, as they were backstage, that was improbable.

Barbossa hand was wrapped around another fake sword which was pressing tightly against Jack's throat. Jack gripped it and flipped himself over, landing on two feet in a crouching position. He ran forward, brandishing his own plastic cutlass.

Moving in a circle, the two clashed swords. Jack shoved his weapon forward and caught the other boy above the ribs. Barbossa, smirking, grabbed the toy and snapped it in two. Instead, he pulled out a small switchblade and held it against Jack's throat, just tilted enough that it dug into his skin slightly above the collar.

Barbossa, grinning, drew the knife across Jack's neck another six inches, leaving a red cut across his captive's throat. He then shoved Jack forward and caught him in a wrist lock behind his back. He then snipped off several inches of Jack's curly black hair.

Jack, enraged, twisted around and wormed out of the tight hold. Taking careful aim, he kicked Barbossa directly between the legs. Screwing up his face, Barbossa fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Jack smiled; no man could overpower the pain that came with such an attack.

Jack stepped out from behind the stage and jumped down, victorious, landing on the ground. Ana Maria rushed over and threw her arms around his neck, examining his cut. Jack gave her a quick kiss before making up an excuse and rushing over to find his friends.

"It's done," he wheezed, catching his breath, and Elizabeth and Will hugged each other, then hugged him. Jack gave a weak smile as Elizabeth pulled him close. She didn't mention his wound, although her eyes were full of immense worry.

"There is no more reason to stall," Will said, putting his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "I've done my part, and Jack's done his; it's your turn Elizabeth. You have to make your decision."

If you had asked her anytime before, Elizabeth would have said that her heart lies with Will and that was that. Now, it was not so easy; she had no idea which path to take. The two men she loved were side-by-side in front of her. Remembering Tia Dalma's words, Elizabeth closed her eyes and stepped forward in no particular direction, hoping that her heart would make the choice for her.

Her fingers met smooth skin, and she gripped her love's forearms as she leaned forward to lock him in a sweet kiss. Eyes still closed, she leaned forward. Their lips met in a moment of intense passion. She half expected to meet the soft and honey flavored lips of Will; instead she found herself experiencing a new- but slightly familiar- taste. The unique flavor of orange soda, mixed with the faint taste of stale rum and sea air, greeted her as their mouths connected.

For a moment, everyone else seemed to melt into nothingness; the only people that mattered were Elizabeth and her heart's choice. Around them, gusts of wind blew intensely and the couple began to spin around, wind whipping through their hair. The scenery changed; they were no longer in a crowded Auditorium, but instead in Tia Dalma's room, still locked in their precious kiss. Elizabeth pulled back, and was pleasantly surprised to see Jack's smiling face.

Several feet behind him, in an unpleasant stun, Will's mouth was hanging open. He had expected Elizabeth to choose him, after all; she was his fiancé. He opened his closed fist; inside was the engagement ring that she had so rudely given back to him. Silently, he left the house and went to brood in the boat.

As he gently rocked himself back and forth, cradling the ring, a lone tear dripped down his cheek and fell in his open palm.

**_Fin_**

Thanks for reading, everybody! Be sure to check out the sequel: Feeling Like Gilligan!


End file.
